As is generally known, the practice of orthodontia involves the selected application of predetermined forces to the teeth of a patient, thereby physically relocating the teeth into desired orientations.
More specifically, the typical orthodontic procedure involves the mounting of orthodontic appliances, commonly referred to in the vernacular as braces, on the teeth of the patient for use in applying tooth relocating forces thereto. Typically, brackets are mounted on the teeth either directly by bonding or indirectly by mounting the brackets on tooth encircling bands and then cementing the bands to the teeth. Buccal tubes are mounted on bands which are secured to the molars of the patient and are used to support archwires which extend adjacent the teeth along generally arcuate paths. Ligatures, which may comprise either stainless steel wires or elastomeric members, are secured between the brackets and the archwires to apply tooth moving forces.
Despite their beneficial results, orthodontic procedures are generally considered to be both uncomfortable and inconvenient. For example, when orthodontic appliances are mounted on the labial or outwardly facing surfaces of the teeth they are positioned to engage and sometimes snag the inside surfaces of the lips of the patient. Even worse, when orthodontic appliances are mounted on the inwardly facing or lingual surfaces of the teeth they tend to interfere with the tongue of the patient during diction and eating. In either case, orthodontic appliances tend to clog with food particles during chewing and are notoriously hard to clean after clogging occurs.